By: Tracie Carter
Monmouth County officials are investigating the motive behind a violent aggravated assault that happened at Crown Tire in the Port Monmouth section of Middletown Township on Friday, leading to the arrest of a Philadelphia man.
According to the police report, Middletown Township Police were called to the scene at 330 Route 36 around 2 p.m. after reports emerged of an assault involving a hammer.
Officers found a 64-year-old man from Edison critically injured with multiple head wounds.
The suspect, identified as 36-year-old Mr. Michael Gonzales of Philadelphia, was detained by witnesses before being taken into police custody.
Deputy Chief Paul Bailey, the Public Information Officer for the Middletown Township Police Department, stated that the investigation revealed Gonzales had repeatedly struck the victim with a handheld sledgehammer.
The severity of the injuries necessitated a medivac helicopter transport for the victim to Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for urgent care.
The assault also involved a female victim who was pushed by the suspect, resulting in her fall and subsequent injuries.
She was taken by ambulance to Hackensack Meridian Health Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank for treatment. The identities of both victims have not been disclosed by the police, who have indicated that the attack was not random.
Police said Gonzales is known to have connections to both victims.
Gonzales faces severe charges, including one count of Attempted Murder, Aggravated Assault, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, and Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purposes.
He is currently being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold, awaiting a detention hearing.